Benji - miss you already

[meridian_rose]

Benji





Puppy Benji; Young Benji in river; Benji with Mara; Mara and Benji kissing me; me & Benji in garden; typically relaxed Benji; 2 December; last photo I took 3 January 2024.

Benji. 13 years old. He had a lump removed three months ago and picked up after but has been declining the last few weeks. Had antibiotics last week but went back to vets today and had text from my sister saying he won't be coming back.
We had one last birthday with him. The 23rd December, "Christmas Eve Eve" has been and always will be Benji's birthday. He was a wonderful dog, and while as a puppy destroy a whole two seater sofa, grew into a calm and lovely companion. His nicknames included "the fabulous flying fluffball" and "the blonde bombshell" and people said he looked like a teddy bear or a fox. He was the puppy I spent most time with unlike Mara who I was somewhat afraid of at the time, or Winter (they were in Wales when they got her) and I've known him and loved him all this time, the closest I've ever had and maybe ever will have to the dream of having a dog of my own. When I've dogsat while Winter is happy to lie outside and Lyra's doing her own thing in the day, he'd stay in and keep me company.
We'll always love him deeply. We still miss Mara - her RIP post is from March 2018, and Tycho the black cat who died in December 2020.
There's still husky Winter (some photos of her with and without Benji here and kitty Lyra but it's going to be a terrible adjustment.
Comments are off because I don't think there's anything anyone can say except they're sorry for the loss and/or they understand the pain of losing a family pet. I just felt the need to memorialise Benji.